Author:Gilda O'Neill
They believed it would never happen again. They hoped it would be over by Christmas...
Britain is at war and the proximity of the docks means that life in and around London's Turnbury Buildings is hard and dangerous. Chances are taken, people have secrets, hearts are broken. And feelings about foreigners are running high.
Sixteen-year-old Freddie Jarrett is secretly seeing a girl from the local Chinese community - a relationship that would be frowned on by both families, despite the fact that they all support the fight for freedom from oppression. And his sister Grace has her own secret to hide. A secret that no one outside the immediate family must ever know.
As the threat of the Luftwaffe looms over the docks, the community is threatened with being torn apart by prejudice, fear and separation, and the disturbing loss of stability that brings with it the feeling that it is only what happens today that counts for anything...
Touching and evocative.
_
This compelling wartime tale will delight saga lovers.
—— Choice magazineMoving and heart-warming saga.
—— Peterborough Evening TelegraphA tender tale of what happens to ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances
—— Marie ClaireBeautifully observed . . . [Anshaw] intimately dissects how one event or choice can alter the trajectory of a life, how a fork in the road can lead to wholly unexpected and divergent outcomes
—— Michiko Kakutani , The New York TimesA funny, vivid and pingingly true story about longing and the pain of love. Anshaw conveys beefy emotions and life-changing events with the most gossamer of touches
—— Rachel Johnson , VogueCarol Anshaw is one of those authors who should be a household name . . . [a] fine, eloquent novel
—— USA TodaySuperb . . . [Anshaw] has a knack for capturing a personality in a single phrase
—— Financial TimesMoving and engaging . . . Anshaw has written not only a funny, smart and closely observed story, but also one that explores the way tragedy can follow hard on celebration, binding people together even more lastingly than passion.
—— Sylvia Brownrigg , The New York Times Book ReviewWords used to praise Anshaw's earlier novels - witty, warm, intimate, poignant - apply equally well to her most compelling book yet, a wholly seductive tale of siblings, addiction, conviction, and genius . . . Masterful in her authenticity, quicksilver dialogue, wise humour, and receptivity to mystery, Anshaw has created a deft and transfixing novel of fallibility and quiet glory
—— BooklistA brilliant feat of storytelling . . . one of the most intensely vibrant novels I've ever read
—— Boston GlobeHere's passion and addiction, guilt and damage, all the beautiful mess of family life. Carry the One will lift readers off their feet and bear them along on its eloquent tide
—— Emma DonoghueSplendid . . . sits somewhere between a Jonathan Franzen novel and a collection of haiku
—— Entertainment WeeklyFunny, touching, knowing . . . a quiet, lovely, genuine accomplishment
—— Publishers WeeklyAnshaw is that rare, brilliant, witty writer whose prose is rich and buttery, and whose plotting is as well-conceived and seamlessly executed as that of the most intricate thriller
—— Chicago TribuneIf you love Jonathan Franzen, you'll love this compelling book
—— Entertainment WeeklyGraceful and compassionate . . . Writing with rueful wit and a subtle understanding of the currents and passions that rule us, Anshaw demonstrates that struggling to do one's best, whatever the circumstances, makes for a life of consequence
—— PeopleA fine novel . . . stunning . . . wise
—— TLSAnshaw submerges the reader in gorgeous detail
—— IndependentCarol Anshaw's writing is cool and funny, outraged and sympathetic by turns. The book is full of sharp observations and memorable phrases
—— Literary ReviewBeautiful prose
—— Independent on SundayBeautiful prose
—— Independent on SundayA series of beautifully detailed snapshots . . . an arresting examination of three intersecting lives, forcefully told
—— Telegraph